June 11,
2007Some comparisons
are just too tough to stomach, but the time has come to stomach one of
them just the same. The United States has become the opposite of what
was intended by our Founding Fathers. It is now not free, but rather sunk
in dictatorial morass. What has become of us Americans? Why are we so
weak as a people? Why do we not stand up for justice, right, and freedom,
and against big, omnipotent government? And why do we allow our freedom
and liberty to be systematically taken from us?

I recently
read a spellbinding movie review written by Wendy McElroy of Sophie
Scholl: The Last Days. It was in the May 2007 issue of the Future
of Freedom Foundations Freedom Daily and was titled
Sophie Scholl: A Life of Moral Courage. Moral courage is something
sadly lacking in our own society these days. Sophie Scholl was a member
of the White Rose, a nonviolent resistance group in Nazi Germany who actively
opposed Hitlers regime, and because of this Scholl was put to death.

As I read
that article, my body began to respond, just as it had when I watched
the movie based on her life. I felt myself cringing and shaking, chills
coming over me. What was happening to me was an awful awareness awakened
by this powerful story. What courage she showed when faced with gargantuan
risk! But her drive to change minds meant more to her than life itself.

Many today
have lost faith in the power and force of ideas. Instead, like ostriches,
they bury their heads in the sand, hoping someone else will take the lead.
This sheeplike behavior has taken over this country, spreading like the
plague and, if it continues, could be just as deadly. Americans are traveling
on a very dangerous road, and the time for action is upon us if we want
to salvage and preserve our freedom.

As I once
again thought about Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans, and others involved
with the White Rose, and the courage they showed, I began to compare things
happening in Germany then with some of the things happening in the United
States now. Although I hesitate to make this comparison, especially given
the anti-Semitism that was inherent in the Nazi system, I nonetheless
think it necessary. Im sure there will be those who suggest that
this comparison stems from hatred of my country, but quite the opposite
is true, especially since I believe that the policies of the federal government
are extremely harmful to my country.

To make
this comparison is to face realities that are painful and that go against
everything Americans are taught or indoctrinated with throughout their
lives. But nevertheless, those of us who believe in true freedom must
speak out and muster the courage to change the minds of others, or the
United States may well be doomed to a societal meltdown. It goes without
saying, of course, that were not at the level of Germany in 1943,
but the country is definitely headed in a very bad and ominous direction.
It is a journey that will become more difficult to slow down or reverse
the longer we permit it to go on.

In Hitlers
Germany, publicly supporting the troops was mandatory. Imprisonment or
execution was the consequence of noncompliance. In America today, even
though some politicians now say they dont support the war, supporting
the troops has been and still is expected by those in positions of power.
Although noncompliance does not now merit imprisonment, as it did during
World War One, thanks to the passage of the Espionage Act, the consequences
can be harsh. At the very minimum, those who oppose the war or the troops
are publicly labeled as unpatriotic  as people whose hatred for
their country is manifested by their opposition to governmental policy.
What will be the next step to stifle criticism and dissent?

As noted
by Wendy McElroy in her review, Germanys minister for public enlightenment
during World War Two, Joseph Goebbels, said, Total war is the demand
of the hour.... The homeland must stay pure and intact in its entirety.
Nothing may disturb the picture.... Everyone must learn to pay heed to
war morale, and pay attention to the just demands of working and fighting
people. Similarly, President Bush said on September 20, 2001, Either
you are with us or you are with the terrorists. From this ideology
grew the support the troops mantra, a tone that has swept
the country and, if not adhered to, brings guilt, shame and, in some cases,
threats. Although Americans are not yet being thrown in prison for dissent,
over the past few years the cry for false patriotism (i.e., nationalism)
has been loud.

During
Hitlers rise to prominence after becoming chancellor of Germany,
he used a terrorist act to extend state power. Its also no secret
that the German state had watchful eyes over its citizenry during Hitlers
entire reign. Coercion, spying, torture, kangaroo courts, terrified criminal
defense attorneys, and executions were the rule of the day. For a good
example, watch the DVD of Sophie Scholl: The Final Days.

Lets
take a look, however, at what has changed here in the United States just
since September 11, 2001. Immediately following the 9/11 attacks, investigations
of citizens and noncitizens began at all levels of government based on
thousands of tips. Hundreds were detained, questioned, or arrested, and
special registration procedures for certain male noncitizens were put
into place.

On September
20, 2001, President Bush announced the creation of the Office of Homeland
Security. Eventually, the name was changed to Department of Homeland Security,
and it became the third-largest cabinet department in the federal government.

In October
2001, President Bush signed into law the USA PATRIOT Act. This all-encompassing
act extended federal government powers to the executive branch and law
enforcement beyond any in our history, infringing heavily on many civil
liberties. Then in 2006, the worst provisions of this monstrous piece
of legislation were extended, as fear continued to grip the country.

In early
2002, the Information Awareness Office was created as a means to survey
the populace, and although it was defunded by Congress in 2003, many provisions
were continued under different funding.

While
many other attacks on our liberty have taken place over the past few years,
including phone-tapping, warrantless searches, financial-record invasions,
and extensive database collections on American citizens, far and away
the worst and most dangerous assault on our freedom has been the passage
of the Military Commissions Act. This effectively gave the president and
the Pentagon the authority to arrest anyone they named an enemy combatant,
American or foreigner, and then to imprison, torture, or execute them
without a proper trial. There is little difference between Germanys
kangaroo courts during World War Two, including the one that tried and
sentenced Hans and Sophie Scholl to death, and the Pentagons own
military tribunals today.

So what
does all this mean? The United States obviously hasnt sunk to the
level of Nazi Germany, but how far are we going to allow this government
to go, given that we have already lost many of our most precious rights?
This essay is not meant to compare Bush to Hitler but it is meant to expose
the dangers of the course that our nation is on  a course the government
is taking  a course that, if not altered, will inexorably lead to
more centralization of power, more subservience to the state, and more
loss of liberty. Throughout history, early signs of tyranny have often
been ignored until it was too late. We must pay specific attention to
the signs this time, as we can hardly afford to be complacent much longer.

While
I have become more optimistic lately, simply because so many are speaking
out against the war in Iraq, I remain skeptical about the future. Although
the numbers against the war have grown, very few are talking about eliminating
the powers that have grown exponentially during Bush administration.
To pass these powers on would be a tragic mistake, and the longer they
are in place, the more placid and acquiescent will become the citizenry.
This is nothing less than a recipe for disaster.

The United
States is currently fighting two occupations, one in Afghanistan and one
in Iraq. The federal government is threatening to wage a third war, against
Iran. If Americans allow that to take place, the abuses we have seen so
far will pale in comparison with what we will see in the future. The tools
are in place, but they havent yet been used to their full potential.
The USA PATRIOT Act, along with the Military Commissions Act, grants massive
power to the executive branch over the states and over the people. Should
this president or any to follow him, choose to use these powers against
us in response to an act of terrorism, natural disaster, or some other
big emergency or crisis, how will we respond?

Adolf
Hitler once praised President Franklin Roosevelt for his approach to the
economic emergency known as to the Great Depression. He said, I
have sympathy for Mr. Roosevelt because he marches straight
toward his objectives over Congress, lobbies, and bureaucracy. If
Hitler were alive today, what would he say about President Bushs
march over Congress and the courts? If history is any judge, he would
also smile favorably upon the actions of this administration. We had better
take heed, or the next words we hear may be, Show me your papers!

Gary
D. Barnett is president of Barnett Financial Services, Inc., in Missoula,
Montana

Tibor Machan
holds the R.C. Hoiles Chair in Business Ethics and Free Enterprise at
Chapman Universitys Argyros School of B and E and is a research
fellow at the Pacific Research Institute and Hoover Institution (Stanford).
He is an advisor to Freedom Communications. His most recent book is Libertarianism
Defended, (Ashgate, 2006).

Sheldon
Richman is senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation in Fairfax,
Va., author of Tethered Citizens: Time to Repeal the Welfare State, and
editor of The Freeman magazine. Visit his blog Free
Association."

Scott McPherson
is a policy advisor at The Future of Freedom Foundation.

Samuel
Bostaph is head of the economics department at the University of Dallas
and an academic advisor to The Future of Freedom Foundation

Anthony
Gregory is a policy advisor at The Future of Freedom Foundation

James Bovard
is the author of Attention Deficit Democracy (Palgrave, January 2006)
and Terrorism & Tyranny (Palgrave, 2003), and is policy advisor at
The Future of Freedom Foundation

Benedict
LaRosa is a historian and writer and serves as a policy advisor to The
Future of Freedom Foundation

Bart Frazier
is program director at The Future of Freedom Foundation.

Mr. Hornberger
is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. Send him
email.